Tart doubly delighted as Princess crowns unforgettable day

John Gosden's main man is invariably needed at Sandown on Coral-Eclipse day, leaving choice mounts up for grabs at Haydock's most prestigious Flat meeting of the summer. And Robert Tart was the latest to take advantage as he enjoyed the biggest day of his career with a double on The Black Princess and Zenon.

Mounts on a Gosden filly in the bet365 Lancashire Oaks are always worth travelling north for and The Black Princess became the trainer's seventh winner of the race, equalling Sir Henry Cecil's record.

She ran on strongly to lead in the final 100 yards for a half-length defeat of Abingdon, giving Tart his first Group 2 victory, after his Group 3 breakthrough on Cunco at Sandown in the spring.

The jockey said: "I've been riding part-time for Mr Gosden for two and a half years and he has given me a Group 3 winner and now a Group 2 winner. He's a gentleman.

"The ground was good for her and she has a nice turn of foot. She did it very nicely – she has a lot of guts and she's very game. I was very pleased with her."

'A great lad and exceptional horseman'

Tart, 24, came in for praise from Gosden's travelling head groom Tony Proctor, who said: "He's in the yard every single morning and he's a great lad.

"There are lots of good jockeys but he's an exceptional horseman as well, which is rare now. He's taking the chances Mr Gosden is giving him."

Of The Black Princess, Proctor said: "She's done nothing wrong since we've had her. She went to France and won there. Then she ran at York and made the running, which didn't suit her.

"Mentally she's been a bit slow at coming to herself. Physically she's always been there. She's not had many races and looked as good today as we thought she would."

Zenon initiates a double for Robert Tart and John Gosden at HaydockCredit: John Grossick Racing Photography

Stablemate Zenon is certainly bred to make a Classic hope, given his parents won six of them between them, and he may just have put himself into contention to emulate them.

Galileo needs no introduction as the winner of the Derby and Irish Derby and now multiple champion sire.

But the dam Jacqueline was even more of a celebrity in India, where she won the 1,000 Guineas, 2,000 Guineas, Oaks and Derby in the hands of Richard Hughes in 2010.

And Zenon earned a quote of 33-1 for the William Hill St Leger from Paddy Power with a come-from-behind length-and-a-half victory in the three-year-old 1m6f handicap – £15 was traded on him at 1,000 in running on Betfair.

He is unlikely to fail for stamina or will to win at Doncaster, as Tart said: "I thought when he slipped on the bend that was our race over. He took a little stumble – quite a hard stumble – but once he got balanced he did it well.

"He's a very big horse and he has a beautiful big stride. The ground helped a lot – there's a lot of give in it."

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